Click here and scroll down for the submission form.
Hello!
On March 16, 2018, the 6th Annual Welcoming and Safe Schools Youth Conference will be held at the University of Southern Maine Portland Campus. The conference is a safe and affirming place for middle and high school youth, along with their mentors and educators, to come together. They will share what they are doing in their schools and communities to increase understanding and decrease bias-based and bullying behaviors.
The theme for this year’s conference is Student Voices. Our conference will focus on helping attendees build capacity at their school sites for speaking truth and listening with empathy. Please consider incorporating this theme into your proposal.
To facilitate safe spaces for important and mindful discussions, we track sessions for specific audiences. As part of your proposal, please identify the intended audience of your session: middle schoolers, high schoolers, adults/advisors, or everyone.
As always, we welcome sessions describing school or community programs that have been successful in decreasing bias-based and bullying behaviors or promoting acceptance and inclusion. Other topics we are interested in having addressed include:
Session proposals are due on December 15th, 2017. The proposal submission form is available at our website, http://www.welcomingandsafeschools.com/proposals.html More details, including last year’s program, can be found on our website. Session selection will be announced January 19th, 2018.
General conference registration will open in January. We are expecting the conference to cost $15/person and anticipate scholarships being available. If you are selected as a presentation, up to 3 members of your group may attend for free.
We are supported by GLSEN Southern Maine, the Maine Department of Education and the University of Southern Maine.
For further information about the conference or questions about submitting a proposal please contact the planning committee at welcomingandsafe@gmail.com.
Looking forward to seeing you March 16th, 2018
Lex Lyon and Sarah Ricker, Directors of the Conference
Hello!
On March 16, 2018, the 6th Annual Welcoming and Safe Schools Youth Conference will be held at the University of Southern Maine Portland Campus. The conference is a safe and affirming place for middle and high school youth, along with their mentors and educators, to come together. They will share what they are doing in their schools and communities to increase understanding and decrease bias-based and bullying behaviors.
The theme for this year’s conference is Student Voices. Our conference will focus on helping attendees build capacity at their school sites for speaking truth and listening with empathy. Please consider incorporating this theme into your proposal.
To facilitate safe spaces for important and mindful discussions, we track sessions for specific audiences. As part of your proposal, please identify the intended audience of your session: middle schoolers, high schoolers, adults/advisors, or everyone.
As always, we welcome sessions describing school or community programs that have been successful in decreasing bias-based and bullying behaviors or promoting acceptance and inclusion. Other topics we are interested in having addressed include:
- Refugee and immigrant experiences
- Students with disabilities accessing their education
- LGBTQ topics
- Race and racism
- Religious differences
- Successful strategies for standing up for yourself or others at school
Session proposals are due on December 15th, 2017. The proposal submission form is available at our website, http://www.welcomingandsafeschools.com/proposals.html More details, including last year’s program, can be found on our website. Session selection will be announced January 19th, 2018.
General conference registration will open in January. We are expecting the conference to cost $15/person and anticipate scholarships being available. If you are selected as a presentation, up to 3 members of your group may attend for free.
We are supported by GLSEN Southern Maine, the Maine Department of Education and the University of Southern Maine.
For further information about the conference or questions about submitting a proposal please contact the planning committee at welcomingandsafe@gmail.com.
Looking forward to seeing you March 16th, 2018
Lex Lyon and Sarah Ricker, Directors of the Conference